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29 August, 2009

Attempting to Knit a Handspun Hat

So, I've been attempting for months to knit a hat out of the fourth skein I spun.

As you read this, remember: this is my first time using double pointed needles and I've only ever knitted simple dish cloths. It's my goal to get something wearable made with my own hands at some point. I kept holding up skeins as I finished spinning them and asking experienced people what I should make, and they kept saying "hat."

So, hat it was. I bought needles.

I cast on. I had no clue how many needles to cast on or that I should keep one needle free for working. I frogged. I took a break until I could get to a spinning guild meeting for a mini lesson.

I knit the wrong stitch, moss when I intended K2 P2 rib knit. I frogged. I cast on. Then I did this all again.

I twisted when I joined the ends. (You can see the twist on the bottom needle in the photo.) I took it to an LYS. Knitters, who were gathered there for knitting and a book signing, confirmed this twist was a problem. I frogged. I cast on.

I took a break.

I knit a K2 P2 rib stitch. I got out of sync.

I took a very, very long break.

I tinked slowly backwards, picking up unravelled stitches back to where the rib knit was good and pure.

I knit the K2 P2 stitch. I felt like I did when I finally learned to ride a bicycle. I knit on.

I discovered the rib knit had sucked up half my yarn after only 2¼ inches of knitting, which I thought was odd because everyone I'd talked to seemed to think a hat would only take one skein.

The original wool was all spun up. Much as I would have liked to spin a new skein to make stripes, I couldn't find any wool in my stash that coordinated with the original colour.

I frogged, cast on fewer stitches, and knit stockinette. I managed to produce an uncomfortably tight fabric.

2 comments:

Hi - i knit my hats on circular needles that are 60cm / 24inch length and then transfer the stitches onto dpns when its time to start the decrease rows, its a lot easier then knitting the hat on dpns all the way through :)

I am a handspinner, twisting fibre into yarn with a hand-powered drop spindle. This blog records what I learn and do. You may be here looking for a story, a solution, or information. I like to spin yarn, finish objects, listen to experienced makers, and research methods. I want handmade clothes out of local fibre in natural colours. I want more linen cloth in my life and more språng (an ancient braiding technique). I like to spin yarn in public, talk about handmade textiles to anyone who will listen, and help new spindle spinners. I am active in my local handspinners guild. I see handspinning as a worthwhile and relevant skill. I am a homesick Canadian, and I live in Virginia.

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By mentioning or describing any product, producer, vendor, manufacturer, fibre artist, external link, content provider, technique, book, or the like, I make no endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee. Their views and mine may disagree. I disclose it when I accept an unsolicited gift from a business. Links to external websites work at the time of posting but may become broken over time.

I post when I have something to say about handspun yarn and the fibre arts. I'm trying to remember to post something on Saturdays; posts go up at seven o'clock in the morning usually, sometimes at seven in the evening